impact of community managed water harvesting structures...
TRANSCRIPT
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Impact of Community Managed Water Harvesting
Structures viz. Check dam & Lift Irrigation Schemes
executed under RKVY in District: Jhalawar
Category :- Natural Resource Management
Introduction
The project on construction of Community Managed Water Resources
Structures viz Check Dams and Lift Irrigation Schemes in Jhalawar District
has been undertaken under RKVY with an objective to improve the quality of
life of about 2000 rural poor farmers through Land and Water Resources and
Agriculture activities. The execution of the project has been done by the NGO –
N M Sadguru Water and Development Foundation, known for its excellence in
the field of Water Resources Development. The project as approved by SLSC,
consists of construction of 09 Check Dams and 10 Lift Irrigation Schemes in a
period of 3 years with an outlay of Rs. 1636 lakhs. So far 10 projects ( 05 Check
Dams and 05 Lift Irrigation Schemes) have been executed and remaining 09
projects are under execution at present.
Water Harvesting Structure – Check Dam
Check Dams are small height masonry structures built across rivers or rivulets
to harvest the monsoon water to be utilized in rabi season for irrigation and
other purposes. Check Dam has been provided with required number of MS
gates to allow monsoon flood to go downstream. These gates are put in, once
the flow in the stream recedes. The water from these Check Dams is either lifted
through individual pumping devices by the farmers or through Community Lift
Irrigation Schemes for irrigation purposes.
Challenges
As the implementing agency has tremendous experience of executing such
projects, there is no such challenge came across in physical execution of the
projects, but ensuring sustainability of the project often remains an issue. So,
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community need to be properly mobilized to take the ownership. Initially
villagers were not aware about functionality of such structures which are post
construction managed by community. The staff of Implementing agency “ N M
Sadguru” took them to other village, where such structures were already in
function for many years. After having interaction within community, people got
thrilled imagining such structure in their village.
Initiatives
05 Check Dams have been constructed so far in different villages. The details of
these structures are as under:
Sr
No.
Name of Project Storage
Capacity
(mcft)
Irrigation
Potential
(Acre)
No. of
Beneficiaries
1 Chhan-I Check Dam 2.00 50 30
2 Chhan-II Check Dam 3.77 60 100
3 Birmakhedi Check Dam 10.00 200 100
4 Tisai Check Dam 2.00 60 98
5 Udaipura Check Dam 2.00 60 100
All the above Check Dams are functional and serving the purpose, for which
they have been planned. The management of these Check Dams, particularly
removal of Shutters before monsoon and fitting of those shutter after receding
of flood is being taken care by community themselves. The detail of one Check
Dam Chhan-II is explained as under:
The Chhan-II Check Dams in village Chhan has been constructed across
Kanthali river in Dag Panchayat Samiti of District Jhalawar. Kanthali river is
one of the tributaries of river Chambal which further merges to Yamuna River.
Total length of check dam was 61 m with height of 3.40 m. This check dam has
storage capacity of 3.77 mcft of water in length of 2.00 km and creating
potential for irrigation in 100 acre of land.
Impact
The intervention has significant impact on the quality of life of farmers residing
around the Check Dam. Farmers are extremely satisfied with the asset “Check
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Dam - Chhan-II”, they have got in their village. Farmers expressed that they had
been asking for this Check Dam for a long time. Ultimately it became true only
because of Sadguru Foundation and Department of Agriculture, Government of
Rajasthan.
Before construction of Check Dam, Farmers in the village were largely taking
rainfed crops like Soyabean, Maize etc during Kharif and some rabi crops like
Gram, Lentil and Mustard. Now they are taking Crops like Wheat, Gram,
Corriander etc. Some of the farmers, who had their own source of irrigation like
open wells could be able to take some crops in Rabi season. But now, because
of Check Dam, water in those wells has increased and they are able to take
crops in more areas.
Check Dam – Chhan-II constructed across River Kanthali, in Jhalawar District, Rajasthan.
There has been an increase in overall productivity of food grains and fodder
because of increase in overall moisture regime. The Check Dam has storage
capacity of 10 mcft and directly benefiting 100 farmers in irrigating 200 Acres
of their farm land. The villagers opposite to Chhan Village are also getting
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benefit of this structure. The increased water availability has also benefitted to
animals resulting into increased milk production.
This year, farmers have taken irrigation in 90 acres through their individual
pumps. Most of the farmers have grown wheat in their fields. There has been
significant impact of above Check Dam. Besides economic benefit in the form
of increased income due to increase in production, villagers got organised to
take collective decisions. The general body of the village has constituted a “
Check Dam Committee” to take care of the Check Dam mainly removal and
putting in of the shutters provided in the structure at appropriate times. The
committee facilitates the equitable and appropriate use of Check Dam water.
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One of the beneficiaries “Mr. Narayan Singh s/o Pur Singh Rajput of Village
Chhan, had 10 Bighas of cultivable land. But before construction of the Check
Dam, he could be able to cultivate only 3-4 Bighas of land that too by sowing
low water requiring crops like Gram, Mustard etc. Now after the construction of
Check Dam, he is able to cultivate crops of his choice on entire 10 Bigha of
land because of availability of sufficient water. During 2015-16, Mr. Narayan
Singh has taken Wheat, Coriander, Lentil etc and got more than two times (Rs.
80,000/-) the net income from the crop.
Lessons Learnt
The execution of above project has a lesson that community ownership is
essentially needed to be ensured to achieve the maximum benefit of community
assets, particularly when it is created around critical element like „water‟. Since
this is an infrastructure based project, there would be need for upkeeping of
these structures after certain period of time. So there must be provision for some
financial support for the purpose of maintenance.
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Lift Irrigation Schemes (LIS)
Lift Irrigation is a device to lift the stored water to be utilized for irrigation
purposes. This device is more useful in undulating terrenes, where canal
irrigation is not possible. The topography of the proposed villages is most
suitable for installation of lift irrigation scheme for irrigating farmers‟ field. 05
Lift Irrigation Schemes have been installed so far and 05 more are under
execution.
Challenges
Community Lift Irrigation is quite sensitive in terms of sustainability, as the
post execution management including operation and maintenance is done by
community. Since the scheme runs on electric power, the issues like ensuring
regular power supply, deposition of timely electric bills etc. need to be handled
by the community. Unless proper training and capacity building of community
is done at the time of execution, the risk of its failure becomes very high. But
the implementing agency has strong faith in community strength and so the
implementing agency follows a well defined path for execution of these project
and succeeds.
Initiatives
In order to ensure sustainability to the scheme, beneficiaries have been
organised into a user group, which is registered under Rajasthan Cooperative
Society Act 2001. The Lift Irrigation scheme, after execution and proper
training is handed over to community. The training includes capacity building
on Cooperative management, technical training to run the scheme. The details
of 05 Lift Irrigation Schemes installed so far are given as under:
Sr
No.
Name of Project Installed
Pumping
Capacity (HP)
Irrigation
Potential
(Acre)
No. of
Beneficiaries
1 Bankhedi LI Scheme 60 158 47
2 Kolwagujar LI Scheme 90 210 40
3 Hadmaitya Ratna LI
Scheme
120 270 66
4 Makodiya-II LI Scheme 120 210 83
5 Somchidi LI Scheme 120 192 90
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Key Results
The results of a successful Lift Irrigation Scheme is quite enthusiastic, as it
gives assured irrigation to farmers at very compelling prices. Also, the
ownership of the scheme rests with community, so they feel empowered having
such scheme in their village. All 05 schemes are running well and farmers are
taking irrigation. All the schemes have user group in place in their village. They
have been registered under Rajasthan Cooperative Act 2001. All necessary
trainings have been provided to community by implementing agency. Necessary
Books of records are being managed by the community.
Impact
Since the above scheme has given direct benefit to farmers in terms of irrigating
their fields, it has directly impacted their income level. The field which were
rainfed and farmers were only taking kharif crops before the scheme, now they
are taking rabi crops with assured irrigation. This has resulted into a
transformation in the village. Economic benefit to the community has visible
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impact on other aspects of life like nutritional security, better health and
education, better housing etc.
With increased awareness and increased repayment capacity due to assured
income of the farmers, the overall credit scenario through main stream financial
institution has improved. Farmers are getting agriculture input at time and at
reasonable cost, because of credit availability in time and at reasonable rate of
interest. This has virtually helped farmers improve their financial health.75%
Farmers are having Kisan Credit Card in the area.
Perceived increase in land prices- Lands without access to water were of little
significance to farmers. Water is what makes any land precious to the cultivator.
Price of agricultural land is perceived to have moved up after the
operationalization of the water resources development schemes in the area. In
village Makodiya price of 1 Bigha Land was Rs. 80,000 to 90,000 before the
intervention (2015-16) but now it raised to Rs. 1,00,000 to Rs. 2,00,000 per
bigha (2016-17) , however farmers are not interested in selling their land.
Lessons Learnt
The intervention requires constant hand holding of the community. The apex
level institutions like Lift Irrigation Federation need to be put in place for
continuous support to individual cooperatives. Some financial provision in this
regard must be kept in project proposal itself. Also the concerned department
like Electricity Board and Cooperative department need to be sensitized, so that
these farmers institution get positive support to run their schemes successfully.
Additional Information
For further information, the contact person is:
Ms. Reena Javeria
Sr. Programme Officer
N M Sadguru Water and Development Foundation
Adalat Road, Chaumahla, Dist-Jhalawar